How Netflix’s Remake of an Action Thriller Classic Could Run for Five Seasons (And Get Its Answer to Reacher)

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As a huge Netflix fan, I’ve been so impressed with how they’ve been adapting books and comics into live-action shows! Take Bridgerton, for example – I devoured the Julia Quinn novels, and seeing them come to life on screen was amazing. And The Witcher? Another fantastic adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s books. But it doesn’t stop there! They’ve got all sorts of things, like the sweet romance of Virgin River (based on Robyn Carr’s super long book series!), The Lincoln Lawyer, and they’re even making a Little House on the Prairie adaptation. Oh, and I can’t forget the Enola Holmes movies – they’re great too! It’s awesome to see so many of my favorite stories get the Netflix treatment.

Netflix’s newest popular series, the action-thriller Man on Fire, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, started as a novel. While many remember the 2004 film with Denzel Washington, the series is actually based on the 1980 book by A. J. Quinnell. The Netflix adaptation takes some significant liberties with the original story, but it still centers around the character of Creasy (known as Marcus in the book and John in both the series and the movie). Interestingly, the book offers a roadmap for future storylines, as Man on Fire is the first in a series. The following may contain spoilers for the Man on Fire series.

Man on Fire Has a Blueprint for At Least Four More Seasons

The novel Man on Fire came out in 1980, and it took over ten years for the author, Philip Nicholson (writing as A.J. Quinnell), to release another book in the series. He then published four more novels featuring the same character, bringing the total to five. The first of these, The Perfect Kill (1992), involves Creasy seeking revenge after his wife and child are killed in a plane bombing. He joins forces with a Senator who also lost family in the attack to hunt down those responsible. Since the character of Creasy in Man on Fire doesn’t have a wife or child, adapting this story for Season 2 might be challenging, but it’s still a possibility.

Following the success of The Perfect Kill, author A.J. Quinn released three more John Creasy novels: The Blue Ring, which pits Creasy against a drug and prostitution ring; Black Horn, a 1994 adventure taking him to Zimbabwe and Hong Kong to hunt down killers; and Message From Hell (1996), where he attempts a rescue mission in the Cambodian jungle and becomes entangled in a woman’s quest for vengeance. These books offer plenty of material for future seasons of the Netflix series Man on Fire, and uniquely, none of them have ever been adapted into films or TV shows before.

I really enjoyed the first season of Man on Fire, and I’m excited about where things are headed. It looks like they’ve already hinted at Creasy going after the Mexican cartels he initially faced, which is fantastic! I’m curious to see if they’ll dive right into that storyline, maybe resolve it quickly in the first episode of the next season, or if they’ll take the story in a completely new direction. Either way, I’m eager to find out!

Man on Fire Could Give Netflix an Answer to Jack Reacher

Prime Video’s adaptation of Lee Child’s Reacher books has been a major streaming success, with three seasons released and more—including a spinoff—already planned. Other streaming services are likely hoping to find a show with the same impact, and Netflix might have a strong contender in Man on Fire. This is especially true since Netflix’s similar hit, The Night Agent, has announced its final season.

Similar to the ‘Reacher’ series, ‘Man on Fire’ has a wealth of source material to draw upon. While the show’s version of Creasy might not perfectly match the book’s, the core storylines could easily be adapted for Netflix if the creators decide to use them. However, the team might be tempted to create a completely new direction for the character, and even the lead actor is eager to explore a side of Creasy that hasn’t been seen on screen before.

Abdul-Mateen expressed a desire to see more of the original, charismatic side of his character, Creasy, before the events of the story. He wants to showcase Creasy’s natural charm and ability to thrive in certain situations, while also maintaining the character’s underlying sense of danger, which he feels is crucial to Creasy’s appeal, according to Netflix’s Tudum.

Netflix is seeing strong results with ‘Man on Fire,’ which garnered 11 million views in its first four days. The streaming service will likely announce plans for the show’s future soon, and it remains to be seen whether they’ll continue adapting the book series or create original stories.

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2026-05-08 07:13